Underwater settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M5

Hello, I know this is a bit off topic but I was wondering if there was any experience with the OMD EM-1 and whether the aforementioned settings would be a good way to start with that camera. I just purchased one of these and am short listed for the Nauticam housing. Since it is such a new camera there is very little out there online as to advice on where to start.

Hello, I know this is a bit off topic but I was wondering if there was any experience with the OMD EM-1 and whether the aforementioned settings would be a good way to start with that camera. I just purchased one of these and am short listed for the Nauticam housing. Since it is such a new camera there is very little out there online as to advice on where to start.

Thanks for any advice

I also picked up the EM-1 as soon as it came out and am eagerly awaiting the new Nauticam housing (hopefully before my xmas trip to Roatan). Anyway, having both the EM-5 and the EM-1 I can tell you this: they are extremely similar in terms of the menus on the cameras, and they are quite different in terms of the functional buttons/dials/lever configurations on the bodies. But in terms of your question, yes, the menus look and act nearly the same in every important way, and I would use the settings recommended herein as a starting place for UW.

From an ergonomic layout, the EM-1 has moved the on/off switch up to the camera left on top, and added dual functionality to this for HDR/AF/Metering and shutter release controls. The EM-1 has also added two new controls to the front right (of the lens) which can be customized to whatever you want. Olympus has also added a 2-position lever to the camera back just to the right of the EVF which controls the AEL as a button, but the lever also toggles controls on top of the on/off switch or whatever you customize it to do. The Fn1 & 2 buttons and record buttons all exist but are physically spread out a little differently and improve your ability to make rapid adjustments. I just returned from a week in Peru where I shot 2000 photos with this camera. I feel that the EM-1 is a solid step up from the EM-5 in every way, but for me, ergonomic design and button layout is smart and intuititive. I can make changes rapidly without ever taking my eye from the gorgeous viewfinder.(Most of the shots in this collection were with the EM-1 and 40-150 lens- )

When you shoot "STTL" with your Inon, you will need to have the button in the "Up/Out" position, when you shoot manual, you need to push it in.

("If your camera does not fire a pre-flash, ACC must be disabled.") - when you shoot "Inon manual", you will set your internal OM-D strobe to "manual" and 1/64 power (which saves camera battery power and is enough to trigger the Inon), and no preflash is emitted.

The switch in the front is for use with "Auto" - which you normally do NOT use with you rOM-D, so forget it. (The strobe and not the camera will measure the amount of light that is reflected from the subject and will shut off when enough light has arrived. The plus 1/4 switch will cut down the amount of light that reaches the strobe sensor, so the strobe burns longer)

When you shoot "STTL" with your Inon, you will need to have the button in the "Up/Out" position, when you shoot manual, you need to push it in.

("If your camera does not fire a pre-flash, ACC must be disabled.") - when you shoot "Inon manual", you will set your internal OM-D strobe to "manual" and 1/64 power (which saves camera battery power and is enough to trigger the Inon), and no preflash is emitted.

The switch in the front is for use with "Auto" - which you normally do NOT use with you rOM-D, so forget it. (The strobe and not the camera will measure the amount of light that is reflected from the subject and will shut off when enough light has arrived. The plus 1/4 switch will cut down the amount of light that reaches the strobe sensor, so the strobe burns longer)

Greetings,

Jock

Thank you so much Jock. I've had the strobes for a few years and was rather embarrassed to ask the question. Glad I did

99% of the time I use the strobes manually and I have already set up my EM-5 as per the instructions. Now I just have to wait for the housing

Can anyone comment on the changes in Firmware version 2.0? It looks like the focus can be narrowed to 5X7. How do you set it? Is it a good thing or bad? I am mainly looking for feedback based on shooting macro.

I think most users have been using the small field for UW exclusively, available until now via a "workaround" described by coroander.

I just updated my firmware, and now the setting is easy to access: You need to make the grid with the larde AF areas visible on your monitor, then press "info" and choose your preferred AF field with the <up> and/or <down> buttons. That's it!

I am also very happy to see (at least theoretically, will have to make a field test) the new "low ISO" setting. When shooting macro, I sometimes like to use a wide open aperture, so I can isolate a subject (everything behind and in front of it is blurry).

In bright conditions with ISO 200 there often is so much light that the strobe fires at very low power, and as a result the red color does not show. With my old Nikonos RS and Velvia 50 slide film it was much easier, and ISO 100 with the E M5 is a step into this direction. One f/stop makes at least a little difference.

Picture quality? Well I'm not a "pixel peeper" and have been satisfied with the quality up to now. Maybe in certain situations (long exposure time?) there will be an advantage, may it be visible or measurable only...

Thank you for the great info. I completely missed the workaround by coroander. I need to get on this forum more often!

And yes I agree on the ISO drop to 100 could be helpful. I won't get wet until first week of March, so it will have to wait. the good thing is I most likely will get to go with Phil Rudin or maybe Chris Parsons if they are around.